Improvement in percussion-primers for cartridges



R. R. MOFPATT. PERCUSSION PRIMER FOR CARTRIDGES.

No. 110 266. Patented Dec. 20, 1870.

"(Y1K n as sews v I U wwumfio RICHARD It. MOFFA'IT, OF BROOKLYN, NEWYORK.

Letters Patent No. 110,266, dated December 20, 1870.-

VV IMPROVEMENT IN PERCUSSION-PRIMERS FOR CARTRIDGES.

The Schedule referrecfto in these Letters Patent and makingpart of the same.

Be it known that I, RICHARD R. Morrar'r, of the city of Brooklyn, Kings county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Percussion-Primers for Cartridges, Guns, &e., of which the following is a specification.

My inventioh consists in combining with aprimed metallic cup or tube an anvil, composed of a suitable fluid, semi-t1 uid,.or plastic substance, which, after being deposited in the cup or tube, will become suificicntly hard, solid, and adhesive to the cup or tube to perform the ofiice of an anvil on which to explode the priming, and of being consumable or inflammable.

Figure 1 is an exterior view of a short primer shular to a common percussion-cap, except that it has, annular-1y, a somewhatprojecting base.

Figure 2 is a central vertical view of the same, showing the anvil B filling the interior.

Figure at is a central sectional view of a cartridgecase, with a bullet inserted having a pereussion-primer containing my anvil.

To enable'others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and mode of operation.

The body A of the primer is a small metallic cup or tube, made ofsheet metal in the ordinary manner ofcutting and sinking up or drawing percussion-caps or metallic cartridge-cases.

The closed end or base may or may not be headed or formed with an annular projecting base, a, as rcpresentedin the drawing. \Vhen designed to be used for priming center-tire metallic cartridges, as shown in fig. 4, giving the base a projecting form will be, found desirable, as that form will make a closer, ncatcr fit with the cartridgccase than will a straighttnbe.

This cup or tube I prime, by pressing a smallquantityot' fnlminate into the base, in a manner similar to that in which percussion-caps are primed.

Into this cup or tube thus primed I deposit and press firmly down upon the fulminate a small quantity of the following compound, namely: Aloes (gum) one part, and chlorate of potash two parts. The variety of aloes called Cape aloes will be found best.

I find an advantage in adding to the componml, or depositing on the fnlminate bei'ore depositing the compound in the cup or tube, a small quantity of powdered glass, or pure sand.

The body oi the primer, when made only the length of the ordinary percussion-cap, should be nearly or quite filled with the compound b. For cannon primers, or where a tube of any considerable length is used, still aboutthe same quantity of the compound as needed in the cap will be found sullicient, usually. Enough should be used to secure the certain explosion of the fulminatc hya blow on the end of the tube, notwithstamling the anvil has no other support than the tube itself.

The compound I have described will, very quickly after being deposited in the body of the primer, become so hard and firmly adhered to the cap or tube that without other support it wilLaet efiiciently as an anvil. I I

I do not, however, intend to limit myself to the compound, maybe employed which has the characteristies described, namely, that of being, when prepared for the purpose herein intemlechfluid, semi-fluid, or plastic, so that it may be readily deposited in the cap or tube; and that of becoming hard, solid, and adherent to the cap or ube after being so deposited and of being consumable.

The proportion of the ingredients used in the compound described, or any other that may be used, may

I be varied at pleasure. Figure 3 is a top view of the same. f-

In the compound described, the chlorate of potash is used to render it quickly inflammable; and as it is desirable that a primershould as quickly as possible communicate its fire to the charge in the gun or cartridge, I would recon'miend the use always of chlorate of potash, or something its equivalent; still, it is not I indispensable.

-.- Figure 5 represents one of the modes in which my prin'ier may he used for priming a center-fire cart-ridgecase.

As will be seen, a cylindrical cup-like depression, 0, is made in the center of the butt, by carrying the metal inward by means of a suitable die and punch. Itis made of such diameter and depth as to contain and snugly hold the primer A, the open end of which rests on the bottom of the depression. An aperture, one or more, is made through such bottom to allow, the fire of the primer to con'imunicate with the gun .powder in the cartridge.

The great advantage of this primer, carrying its own anvil for the priming of center-tire cartridges especially, obviating as it does the necessity of providing a-metallic one belonging to or connected with the cartridge-case or otherwise, is obvious.

I am aware that percussion-caps have been made with a plug, or piece of metal, or some other solid substance, inserted in them. But so far asjl y knowledge extends, such anvils have always bectrfbrmed of some hard material, and fashioned into the proper shape before being inserted in the cap. The combination of percussion-caps with all such anvils I disclaim.

secure by Letters Patent, is-

The anvil ot' a percussion-cap or primer, when composed of a consumable material as herein described, and applied in a liquid or plastic state,substautially as and for the purpose specittcd.

Witnesses: R. R. MOFFATT.

THOMAS Oosrloan,

J. STANHOPE W nms.

precise com pound. Any other equivalent composition of matter, or any other substance, whethermingleor.

. \Vhat I do claim as my invention, and desire to 

